Bag frame construction



July 6, 1954 s. GIORDANO BAG FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 28, 1951 y ill. Il .Y

n INVENTOR. SG/AoRoA/vo BY A T TORNEY Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in bag frames, used, for example, in the manufacture of handbags. The frame of the present inven tion comprises a unitary member whichV is formed from a single blank of material bent to the configuration described herein to define connected top and end portions. p I The invention is directed to the provision of a frame member of such cross-sectional construction as to facilitate the insertion of the marginal edges of the bag material therein, and the clamping of such marginal edges thereinin such fashion as to present the external appearance of a frame consistingsolely of the downwardly opening extended upper edge portion of the inner wall of the frame, the other parts being effectively concealed by the bag material and by contact with the cooperating opposite frame member. K

There are numerous types of frame members for holding bag materials. The present invention is believed to represent a substantial departure from and an improvement over such prior constructions, in the features above referred to and described below. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional, partly fragmentary, perspective view of a pair of frame members embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional perspective view of one of the frame member sections, showing the attached end portion thereof,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of a bag frame embodying the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged,vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, the handbag frame embodying the invention is preferably made from a single strip of fiat material initially so blanked out or cut to provide corner-forming slits as indicated at 33, 34, to define a frame member of U-shaped outline, including a top portion I and connected end portions II, I2. Tabs 32 may be struck up from each end portion and bent over the top portion or a part thereof, as shown in Fig. 2 and welded or otherwise secured thereto to reenforce the corner, if so desired. However, that feature, which is shown in Fig. 2, while convenient in carrying out my invention, is not an 'essential part thereof.

The frame members embodying the invention would normally be manufactured in mirrored pairs I6, II, as shown in Fig. l, and at their free ends or extremities have complementary means generally designated at in Fig. 3, to

pivotally connect said ends together; they may have any desired or convenient latching mechanism, such as is indicated at I8, I 9, in Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the blank strip comprising the frame member I6 has an elongated flat inner wall I3 and extended upper and lower edges I4, I5, which, in the initial manufacture of the strip, would be at, parallel with, and continuations of the inner Wall I3. The said extended edges are formed pursuant to the present invention, as follows:

The extended upper edge I4 is curled and bent downwardly to a position at which the free edge 26 thereof is in spaced relation to the inner wall I3 and defines therewith a downwardly opening pocket 2l for the reception of the marginal edge 2l' of the bag material 273. The extended lower edge of the inner wall I3 is arcuately bent as at 22 and then outwardly angularly directed relative to the inner wall I3 to dene a wide V in cross-section and forming a bottom pocket 24, toward the median opening of which the free edge 26 of the upper edge portion I4 is directed. The lower edge I5 is preferably weakened along the portion 22 of bending thereof by providing the same with openings 29, thus enabling the same to be readily bent upwardly to a position parallel with the inner wall I3 and with the upper edge I4 so as to cooperate therewith to receive the marginal edge 21 of the bag frame material 28, which may thus be inserted into the frame and held within the upper and lower edges of the frame, passing through the narrow space which separates the extended upper and loweredges I4, I5, and downwardly as indicated at 3| in Fig. 4 along the outer surface of the extended frame lower edge I 5, to conceal the same while fully exposing the upperedge extension I4 to View. An insert or flat strip 40 is provided for the top portion, the same being of such dimensions that the insert and marginal portions of the bag material wrapped about it fit snugly within the channeled frame and the bag material is thus firmly gripped and prevented from working loose. The lower edge extension of the inner wall is angularly directed outwardly of the inner wall atl wide angle 23 well past the planar limit 25 of the upper edge extension so as to combine with the inner wall to dene a Wide V' in cross-section opening outwardly well past said point 25, facilitating insertion of the handbag material therein.

In the manufacture of the bag frame, the completed frame, as shown in Fig. 2, may be made by the frame manufacturer, who would ship the same to the various concerns which have the bag material, as is customary in the industry; such firms would only have to fold marginal portions of the bag material to encircle the inserts 40, which inserts are furnished with the frame, and then nt the inserts encircled with the marginal edges of the bag material into the upper and lower pockets 2l, 24 and then bend the lower edge I5 of the frame to a position parallel with the inner wall I3. By this single and simple operation, assembly of the bag is completed. ItI

will be apparent that this simple operation. greatly facilitates the manufacture of the handbag and since any of an innite variety of Wpes of bag material may be inserted therein, such frame lends itself admirably to the production of an infinite variety and range of bags of different appearance. The marginal edge 2'I may be the free margin of the bag material, or such margin doubled upon itself or wrapped about the inlay or reenforcing member 40, if so desired. Since they wrappedinsert or strip fits snugly in the channel of the frame and has close tting contact with the walls of the channel, a tight binding t is obtained and the bag material cannot slip out of engagement with the frame.

The parts are so proportioned that when the lower edge extension I5 is so bent, the extensions IA, I5 and inner wall I3 will dene a continuous pocket partly closed by the extensions, to hold the marginal edge 21 of the bag material, the extensions dening there between a narrow space through which the bag material 2B inserted therein may extend as at 3I outwardly and downwardly along the outer surface of the lower edge extension, concealing the same while exposing the upper edge extension to View.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A handbag frame comprising companion members, each of said members being U-shaped and having a top portion and depending arms hinged at their lower ends to the lower ends of the companion member, each of said members being formed of stiff sheet metal and having a continuous inner side wall and portions extending laterally away from the upper and lower edges thereof and towards each other and forming upper and lower walls and upper and. lower sections of an outer side wall, said upper and lower wall sections having their edges spaced from each other and defining a slot extending the full length of the outer side wall, said upper and lower sections of said outer wall in conjunction withA said upper and lower walls and said inner side wall dening a channel extending the full length of thev Walls, said channel communicating with said slot along its length, an insert having a cross-section corresponding with the cross-section of said channel, and a portion of bag material completely encircling said insert, said portion of bag material having a free end extending from said insert along its length, said insert with said bag material encircling it being positioned within said channel and completely filling said channel with said free end of said bag material extending through said slot, whereby said bag material is rmly grippedv between said' insert and the walls defining said channel and is thereby prevented from slipping outwardly through said slot.

Referencesv Cited in the le of this patent l UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

